


A Flower at Night

by fondofit



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Flirting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-09-25 04:15:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20370535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fondofit/pseuds/fondofit
Summary: Merlin takes an interest in the Old Man of the Mountain.





	A Flower at Night

**Author's Note:**

> This is purely fic inspired by fanart. Before this week I had never thought this pairing could be a thing and then I fell into the possibilities.

“Thinking about all of the questions of the universe?”

The Old man of the Mountain turns his head to see the smiling face of Merlin looking back at him. The mage’s grin was soft, kind, but also reflected the mischief shown in his eyes. He held two champagne glasses in his hands.

“Or should I have said, what’s a big, solemn guy like you doing in a lively party like this?”

“Please refrain from doing so,” the rumbling voice of King Hassan states.

Instead of turning around and leaving, Merlin pulls out a chair and slides into the seat across from the Old Man. The noise was less noticeable here in the back corner of the room by the windows. It spoke volumes that Hassan was present at the party _at all_, even though he was merely sitting in the back of the room staring at the starry night sky. 

“Ah, here, I brought you this.”

Merlin holds out the second glass to the Old Man, waiting for him to take it. 

“I cannot partake of such-”

“It’s sparkling juice. I made sure not to take the champagne for you.”

There was a pause before the Old Man brings his guarded fingers up to take the delicate glass. 

“You have my thanks.”

“No thanks is needed. I just wanted to have an excuse to speak with you.”

This indeed was a new turn of events. 

“Of what did you want to speak with me about?”

The grin returns to the Caster with an added twinkle in his eyes. Merlin twists the glass’s stem between his fingers before taking a sip of the bubbly gold liquid.

“I wanted to take a chance by chatting with you about everything and nothing. You were finally alone without the other Hassans and, well, you don’t come off as the most approachable man.”

“_Everything and nothing?_”

After another sip, a large smile graces Merlin’s face as he leans forward over their small table.

“You know,” The caster chirps in a sing-songy voice. “A little bit of _this_ and _that_.”

If the Old Man hadn’t seen the flowers that miraculously sprung to life around the Caster while in battle, he’d think he was hallucinating right at this moment. A bright pink glow began forming underneath their tablecloth. Why would this man bother with him?

“I can see you aren’t convinced yet. That’s fair,” claims Merlin as he leans back into his seat. Hassan could feel the pull of the Caster’s charisma. For an assassin such as he to feel the pull… it was embarrassing, to say the least. “To tell you the truth, I’m not quite sure why I’ve found myself drawn to you either. At first glance, you cut an imposing, almost frightening picture. A man who had created _the_ Hassan.”

Merlin pauses for a moment and downs the rest of his champagne. After taking a second to slowly run his tongue over his bottom lip watching the Old man from under heavy-lidded eyes, he continues, “Your name makes people shake in their skin, but here you are sitting at a party looking quite fetching.”

There was a pause as if the Old Man couldn’t quite understand what the Caster was saying. Fetching? Never in his life had he heard this word used in regards to his being. 

“You find myself attractive?”

The question was honest. Merlin was one of those men who seemed to always have an ulterior motive for whatever he did. What gain would the Caster have in this situation? Other than the hold he has over him class-wise.

“To put it simply, yes”

The Old Man leans forward on the small table between them. Merlin doesn’t move away. In fact, he seems to move in just ever so slightly. 

“And what would you like me to say in regards to your declaration.”

Merlin’s grin never wavers and despite sipping the now-empty champagne glass in hand, he didn’t smell drunk off the alcohol. It seemed that this man was indeed interested in him. 

“I was hoping you’d like us to go somewhere less crowded. So we could get to know each other a little more.”

The intention was blatantly obvious, but despite the apprehension, Hassan responds by scooting away from the table to stand at his full height. Merlin’s eyes follow him, stopping at the hand that was gently extending towards him.

“Then let us indulge ourselves this evening.”

Merlin wastes no time taking the Old Man's offer.


End file.
